Remembering Their Islam: A Study of Sufi Converts

Author: Heidi Aqel

“While there has been a great surge in the rates of conversion to Islam in America in recent years, a number of those converts have become Sufis. Sufism is different in many ways from mainstream Islam; the differences might be what make it so attracted to the American born converts. There is a focus on the individual’s connection with and path towards God. This focus allows for the acceptance of other faiths as alternate paths, therefore differentiating Sufism from mainstream islam with this recognition. The focus in Sufi orders is also on the direct communication between God and the individual. This “hands off” approach to ones faith may also be what is driving Americans to look into Sufism. In my research, I have interviewed ten American converts to Sufism. By asking questions about their choice to look into Islam and their exposure to the faith, it became clear as to why Sufism, as opposed to Sunni or Shi’a Islam, is preferrred.”